Ukraine may receive European satellite systems instead of Starlink.

The European Commission is exploring options for providing Ukraine with satellite communications

The European Commission is actively exploring options for providing Ukraine with satellite communications due to the potential threat of losing access to Elon Musk's Starlink network, Politico reports.

According to a source, satellite communication systems are extremely important for Ukraine as the war continues, but there is uncertainty regarding further support from Musk's company. In 2020, around 42,000 Starlink terminals were operating in Ukraine, with nearly half of them financially supported by Poland.

Thomas Renier, a spokesman for the European Commission, confirmed Ukraine's interest in using European satellite systems and emphasized that the European Commission will continue contacts with Ukraine in this regard.

Possible alternatives for Ukraine

One possible alternative is the combined government satellite systems network of EU countries, Govsatcom, as well as the IRIS² project, which will be launched in the 2030s.

Call from the MEP to the EU executive

French MEP Christophe Grudler called on the EU executive to urgently assess all available satellite communication options for Ukraine instead of Starlink.

Grudler proposed to accelerate the deployment of Govsatcom by simplifying the certification process, which could be a temporary solution until the launch of IRIS². Commercial satellites from Eutelsat, Hispasat, and SES, which are in geostationary orbit, and the OneWeb constellation are also being considered.

Demand to check Musk's contacts with Putin

Earlier, the U.S. Senate called for an investigation into Elon Musk's contacts with Putin.